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San Diego State and Boise State stand to earn about $7.8 million annually from the new TV deal coming up for the Big East Conference, according to estimates by an independent national market research firm.

If that estimate is on the mark, it would easily validate SDSU’s move to the Big East from the Mountain West, where the Aztecs make just $1.2 million annually in TV money.

The league begins negotiations on its new TV deal in September — an event that promises to be a critical milestone for the future of Aztecs athletics.

•Football-only members in the Big East stand to make $7.8 million per year. Basketball-only members would make $3.2 million per year, and full members in all sports would make $11 million. SDSU and Boise plan to join in football only on July 1, 2013.

•If SDSU and Boise State stayed in the Mountain West instead of joining the Big East, the Big East deal still probably would be at least double that of the Mountain West.

The Mountain West and Conference USA have been discussing a joint collaboration to maximize the value of their media rights. But the teams in those two leagues don’t have the TV markets and fan bases that the Big East would deliver for TV networks with markets in Texas and the East Coast.

“A Mountain West with Boise State and SDSU would still earn less than the Big East without those schools,” said Jeff Nelson, analytics manager for Navigate. “It just wouldn’t have football programs with the fan bases and pull to draw ratings comparable to the Big East.”

ESPN has first negotiating rights with the Big East. NBC and Fox also have shown interest.

“The main draw of Boise State is obviously its level of play in recent years and the hope that it would bring viewers due to being ranked and being an exciting team to watch,” Nelson said. “So losing it would hurt. However, Boise State’s actual fan base is very small, so its drawing power is completely tied to its performance — unlike schools with much larger fan bases — and therefore slightly limited, meaning the drop isn’t enormous.”

•If the Big East added BYU, the Big East would add value for all football members, though not by much. Navigate Research projects the TV revenue share for football-only members would jump from $7.8 to $8 million annually if it included BYU.